News

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) will meet on 23 February 2026 in Brussels to debate the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027 and assess the effectiveness of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Discussions will focus on the European Commission's strategic recommendations to guide the next generation of national and regional CAP plans, touching on farm income, innovation, and environmental goals while preserving national flexibility. The Council will evaluate the Commission’s report on unfair practices in agri-food markets and review the EU's strategic approach for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for 2026-2027. Ministers will further address national concerns over CAP controls, proposals for EU-level disaster insurance, issues in the pig sector, and the availability of plant protection products.

On 12 February 2026, the European Parliament gave final approval to new legislation designed to better protect farmers and small producers from unfair commercial practices in the food supply chain. Backed by 555 MEPs, the law tightens enforcement of rules across borders and ensures closer coordination between supervisory bodies. A key innovation allows authorities to act on their own initiative, addressing fears of supplier retaliation. The law requires buyers from non-EU countries to appoint an EU contact person and mandates improved data sharing through the Internal Market Information System. The approach is modeled partly on successful geographical indication regimes. The legislation now awaits formal Council approval and will apply 18 months after publication. Meanwhile, a broader revision of the relevant directive is expected later in 2026.
More information is available here.

On 9 February 2026, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) published an opinion on the Commission’s CAP legislative proposals for 2028-2034. The ECA warned that the shift from the historic two-pillar model to a single European Fund, allocated via national and regional partnership plans, could undermine the policy’s common character and even distort the internal market. Funding predictability may be affected, as allocation amounts will only be known once national plans are approved. Auditors stressed the need for clear traceability of funds for thorough auditing, especially under milestone-based schemes. The mandatory degressivity and capping proposals were analyzed with different average payment scenarios, highlighting that thresholds for support reductions would affect larger holdings most strongly. Increasing voluntary coupled aid was flagged as a risk for competition distortion. The Commission defends the flexibility as compatible with a common policy, while Copa-Cogeca sees this as confirming fears about renationalization and complexity.
More information is available here.

On 5 February 2026, the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets published almost 1,000 amendments to the draft interim report on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034. Major groups sharply opposed including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within single national plans and instead called for a legally protected, ring-fenced CAP budget. Notably, amendments propose a separate CAP envelope of €427.6 billion (current prices) or a minimum of €400 billion (constant 2025 prices), and reaffirm the two-pillar structure with distinct funding for direct payments and rural development. Other proposals aim to finish external convergence, strengthen crisis reserves, and redefine "active farmer" eligibility. Czech and Slovak MEPs highlighted CAP stability and the need to balance sovereignty and environmental goals. The committee will finalise the report in the coming weeks.
More information here.

At the end of January 2026, the European Commission initiated infringement proceedings against several Member States over violations of EU laws on water management, nature protection, access to justice, reporting, and food labelling. Denmark, Italy, and Luxembourg were formally warned over long-term water abstraction permits; Spain and Romania for missing required nature reports; and Poland for non-compliance with a court ruling on NGO rights in Natura 2000 forests. Belgium received a reasoned opinion for failing to implement marine and habitat restoration. The Commission also urged 12 countries, including the Czech Republic, to transpose directives on simplified reporting and separately called on 11 countries to enforce new food labelling rules ("Breakfast Directives") for honey, juices, jams, and powdered milk. Member States have two months to comply.
More information here.